Uncloneable Quantum Advice

The famous no-cloning principle has been shown recently to enable a number of uncloneable functionalities. Here we address for the first time unkeyed quantum uncloneablity, via the study of a complexity-theoretic tool that enables a computation, but that is natively unkeyed: quantum advice. Remarkably, this is an application of the no-cloning principle in a context where the quantum states of interest are not chosen by a random process. We show the unconditional existence of promise problems admitting uncloneable quantum advice, and the existence of languages with uncloneable advice, assuming the feasibility of quantum copy-protecting certain functions. Along the way, we note that state complexity classes, introduced by Rosenthal and Yuen (ITCS 2022) - which concern the computational difficulty of synthesizing sequences of quantum states - can be naturally generalized to obtain state cloning complexity classes. We make initial observations on these classes, notably obtaining a result analogous to the existence of undecidable problems. Our proof technique establishes the existence of ingenerable sequences of finite bit strings - essentially meaning that they cannot be generated by any uniform circuit family. We then prove a generic result showing that the difficulty of accomplishing a computational task on uniformly random inputs implies its difficulty on any fixed, ingenerable sequence. We use this result to derandomize quantum cryptographic games that relate to cloning, and then incorporate a result of Kundu and Tan (arXiv 2022) to obtain uncloneable advice. Applying this two-step process to a monogamy-of-entanglement game yields a promise problem with uncloneable advice, and applying it to the quantum copy-protection of pseudorandom functions with super-logarithmic output lengths yields a language with uncloneable advice.Comment: 58 pages, 6 figure

A novel strategy to identify asthma-associated microbial clusters Reply

Non peer reviewe

Perinatal factors and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels during adolescence

Objective: To examine whether perinatal factors are associated with low-grade inflammation measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels during adolescence. Methods: Nested case-control study of 125 teenagers who were born by Cesarean delivery and had high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels determined at 15-17 years. Data on obstetric and perinatal factors were recorded prospectively at the time of their birth. Results: Median values of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly higher in teenagers, who were born as large for gestational age or with maternal diabetes compared to others (2.54 vs 0.34 mg/L; p < 0.024), and born during spring or summer compared to those born during winter or autumn (0.48 vs 0.27 mg/L; p < 0.023). No other perinatal associations were detected (for ex. such as electivity of operation, onset of labor, rupture of fetal membranes, cervical dilatation at delivery, gestational age, Apgar scores at 5 min, umbilical blood pH value, administration of neonatal antibiotics or need of neonatal intensive care treatment) in CRP levels. Further, teenagers with current body mass index in the highest tertile, regular medication for chronic disease and girls using oral contraceptives had significantly higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels than others. Conclusion: Prenatal exposures such as maternal metabolic environment and seasonality may have longterm effects on the low-grade inflammation and later cardiometabolic risks. Seasonality might be partly explained by maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy, and thus future efforts are warranted to ensure sufficient vitamin D availability during pregnancy. Surprisingly, no other significant associations were detected between perinatal characteristics and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels.Peer reviewe

Tracking of Serum DHEAS Concentrations from Age 1 to 6 Years : A Prospective Cohort Study

Context: Adrenarche is a gradual process, but its programming is unknown. Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the trajectory of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) from age 1 to 6 years and the associations of early growth with DHEAS concentration by age 6 years. Design and participants: Longitudinal data from a population sample of 78 children (43 girls) with serum samples for DHEAS and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) measurements available at ages 1 and 6 years. Main outcome measure: Serum DHEAS concentration at age 6 years. Results: DHEAS concentration at age 1 year correlated with DHEAS concentration at age 6 years (r = 0.594, P <.001). DHEAS levels at age 6 years increased with tertiles of DHEAS at age 1 year (medians (mu g/dL); 4.2, 14.4, 22.6; P <.001) and with those of greater increase in length by age 1 year (6.0, 11.7, 16.4; P = .047), and decreased with Wailes of birth length (17.7, 13.3, 7.1; P = .042). In a regression model including birth size, biochemical covariates at age 1 year, and growth measures by age 6 years, higher DHEAS concentration at age 1 year was an independent determinant of falling into the highest DHEAS tertile at age 6 years. Conclusions: Higher serum DHEAS concentrations already at age 1 year are associated with those at age 6 years. Also, shorter birth length and rapid catch-up growth in length by age 1 year are associated with higher DHEAS concentrations at age 6 years. These results corroborate the early origin of adrenarche and strongly suggest that part of adrenarchal programming already takes place by the end of infancy. (C) Endocrine Society 2020.Peer reviewe

Application of the environmental relative moldiness index in Finland

The environmental relative moldiness index (ERMI) metric was previously developed to quantify mold contamination in U.S. homes. This study determined the applicability of the ERMI for quantifying mold and moisture damage in Finnish residences. Homes of the LUKAS2 birth cohort in Finland were visually inspected for moisture damage and mold, and vacuumed floor dust samples were collected. An ERMI analysis including 36 mold-specific quantitative PCR assays was performed on the dust samples (n = 144), and the ERMI metric was analyzed against inspection-based observations of moisture damage and mold. Our results show that the ERMI was significantly associated with certain observations of visible mold in Finnish homes but not with moisture damage. Several mold species occurred more frequently and at higher levels in Finnish than in U.S. homes. Modification of the ERMI toward Finnish conditions, using a subsample of LUKAS2 homes with and without moisture damage, resulted in a simplified metric based on 10 mold species. The Finnish ERMI (FERMI) performed substantially better in quantifying moisture and mold damage in Finnish homes, showing significant associations with various observations of visible mold, strongest when the damage was located in the child's main living area, as well as with mold odor and moisture damage. As shown in Finland, the ERMI as such is not equally well usable in different climates and geographic regions but may be remodeled to account for local outdoor and indoor fungal conditions as well as for moisture damage characteristics in a given country.Peer reviewe

Early-life residential exposure to moisture damage is associated with persistent wheezing in a Finnish birth cohort

Background and Aims Moisture damage increases the risk for respiratory disorders in childhood. Our aim was to determine whether early age residential exposure to inspector-observed moisture damage or mold is associated with different wheezing phenotypes later in childhood. Methods Building inspections were performed by civil engineers, in a standardized manner, in the children's homes-mostly single family and row houses (N = 344)-in the first year of life. The children were followed up with repeated questionnaires until the age of 6 years and wheezing phenotypes-never/infrequent, transient, intermediate, late onset, and persistent-were defined using latent class analyses. The multinomial logistic regression model was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 63% (n = 218) had infrequent or no wheeze, 23% (n = 80) had transient and 9.6% (n = 21) had a persistent wheeze. Due to the low prevalence, results for intermediate (3.8%, n = 13) and late-onset wheeze (3.5%, n = 12) were not further evaluated. Most consistent associations were observed with the persistent wheeze phenotype with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) 2.04 (0.67-6.18) for minor moisture damage with or without mold spots (present in 23.8% of homes) and 3.68 (1.04-13.05) for major damage or any moisture damage with visible mold in a child's main living areas (present in 13.4% of homes). Early-age moisture damage or mold in the kitchen was associated with transient wheezing. Conclusion At an early age, residential exposure to moisture damage or mold, can be dose-dependently associated especially with persistent wheezing phenotype later in childhood.Peer reviewe

Early age exposure to moisture and mould is related to FeNO at the age of 6 years

Background Exposure to indoor moisture damage and visible mold has been found to be associated with asthma and respiratory symptoms in several questionnaire-based studies by self-report. We aimed to define the prospective association between the early life exposure to residential moisture damage or mold and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and lung function parameters as objective markers for airway inflammation and asthma in 6-year-old children. Methods Home inspections were performed in children's homes when infants were on average 5 months old. At age 6 years, data on FeNO (n = 322) as well as lung function (n = 216) measurements were collected. Logistic regression and generalized additive models were used for statistical analyses. Results Early age major moisture damage and moisture damage or mold in the child's main living areas were significantly associated with increased FeNO levels (>75th percentile) at the age of 6 years (adjusted odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, aOR (95% CI): 3.10 (1.35-7.07) and 3.16 (1.43-6.98), respectively. Effects were more pronounced in those who did not change residential address throughout the study period. For lung function, major structural damage within the whole home was associated with reduced FEV1 and FVC, but not with FEV1/FVC. No association with lung function was observed with early moisture damage or mold in the child's main living areas. Conclusion These results underline the importance of prevention and remediation efforts of moisture and mold-damaged buildings in order to avoid harmful effects within the vulnerable phase of the infants and children's immunologic development.Peer reviewe

Excessive Unbalanced Meat Consumption in the First Year of Life Increases Asthma Risk in the PASTURE and LUKAS2 Birth Cohorts

A higher diversity of food items introduced in the first year of life has been inversely related to subsequent development of asthma. In the current analysis, we applied latent class analysis (LCA) to systematically assess feeding patterns and to relate them to asthma risk at school age. PASTURE (N=1133) and LUKAS2 (N=228) are prospective birth cohort studies designed to evaluate protective and risk factors for atopic diseases, including dietary patterns. Feeding practices were reported by parents in monthly diaries between the 4(th) and 12(th) month of life. For 17 common food items parents indicated frequency of feeding during the last 4 weeks in 4 categories. The resulting 153 ordinal variables were entered in a LCA. The intestinal microbiome was assessed at the age of 12 months by 16S rRNA sequencing. Data on feeding practice with at least one reported time point was available in 1042 of the 1133 recruited children. Best LCA model fit was achieved by the 4-class solution. One class showed an elevated risk of asthma at age 6 as compared to the other classes (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 8.47, 95% CI 2.52-28.56, p = 0.001) and was characterized by daily meat consumption and rare consumption of milk and yoghurt. A refined LCA restricted to meat, milk, and yoghurt confirmed the asthma risk effect of a particular class in PASTURE and independently in LUKAS2, which we thus termed unbalanced meat consumption (UMC). The effect of UMC was particularly strong for non-atopic asthma and asthma irrespectively of early bronchitis (aOR: 17.0, 95% CI 5.2-56.1, p < 0.001). UMC fostered growth of iron scavenging bacteria such as Acinetobacter (aOR: 1.28, 95% CI 1.00-1.63, p = 0.048), which was also related to asthma (aOR: 1.55, 95% CI 1.18-2.03, p = 0.001). When reconstructing bacterial metabolic pathways from 16S rRNA sequencing data, biosynthesis of siderophore group nonribosomal peptides emerged as top hit (aOR: 1.58, 95% CI 1.13-2.19, p = 0.007). By a data-driven approach we found a pattern of overly meat consumption at the expense of other protein sources to confer risk of asthma. Microbiome analysis of fecal samples pointed towards overgrowth of iron-dependent bacteria and bacterial iron metabolism as a potential explanation.Peer reviewe